Remember Remember

Remember Remember the 5th November. To celebrate the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot Clare and I went to the bonfire and firework display at St Margaret’s C of E school in Olton. We have done this for the last few years. It’s a great display (put on by Solihull Fireworks) that lasts for about 20 minutes.

Hot drinks and food stalls helps fend off the cold (despite it being mild for the type of year it is still quite chilly having stood around for an hour and a half). After the display we paid my parents a visit and, having had baked potatoes, spent the rest of the evening playing Yahtzee.

Early in the day we headed over to Sandwell Valley to see what migrant birds had arrived. Although still fairly quiet we had Teal, Goosander and Snipe on and around the lake. On the walk to the lake we noticed a flock of birds at the top of a Poplar Tree. On closer inspection the flock was comprised of Goldfinch, Siskin and Lesser Redpoll and totalled about 20. Other birds included Redwing, Mediterranean Gull, Lapwing, Greenfinch, Grey Heron, Kestrel and Buzzard as well as the usual Black Headed Gulls, Blue Tits, Great Tits and the like.

Sunday was a quiet day. Having spent some time wandering around the shops in Solihull we returned home. I spent the afternoon watching the football and listening to music.

After dinner we settled down to watch Harry Brown. Michael Caine plays a pensioner who lives on a housing estate which is terrorised by kids. Having lost his wife to illness and his best mate at the hands of the teenagers he finds himself alone in the world. With nothing left to lose he decides to take on the teenagers.

This is a dark film. It’s violent and paints a grim picture. At times farfetched and at times extremely accurate. Great performances by Ben Drew and Jack O'Connell who played gang members made for some very realistic scenes and some uncomfortable viewing.

I can’t say whether I enjoyed the film or not, perhaps it was the subject matter, but I’m glad I took the time to watch it.

Another Week Passes By

Here we are again, over a week since my last post.  So what have I been up to since then?  Let's start with last Thursday.

Thursday night and St Andrew's played host to European football for the first time in 50 years (not including the Anglo Italian Cup in the early 90s) and I was there along with nearly 28,000 other supporters to witness Blues cruise into the group stages of the Europa League.

A nervy start saw Nacional have the better of the play but after about 15 minutes the game settled down. This was due largely to a cracking goal by Nathan Redmond, 17 years old and already a crowd favourite. 

The second goal came a few minutes later via Murphy's head.  Blues were making it look easy!  It was great to see us going forward and players actually queueing in the box to have a go.  A massive contrast to last year!

The third and final goal came in the second half. Chris Wood wrapped it up for Blues in the 86th minute.  I great evenings entertainment and all for a tenner.  Can't be bad. 

Friday and I missed the draw for the next round as I was at a family occasion over in Derbyshire.  It was good to see cousins again after 20 years. Hopefully we'll stay in touch now.

Saturday was a quiet day and on Sunday Clare and I headed to Sutton Park.  I'd not been there for years!  The weather was grey and a little on the chilly side when the wind got up but it was nice to wander around.   When we first arrived I noticed a rabbit in a field.  He was wild and kept disappearing into his warren.  The odd thing was he was jet black!

We wandered around the lakes and through the woods for a good couple of hours and eventually found the Blackroot Bistro. Stopping here, we had a bite to eat.  Clare ended up taking her bowl of chips back as there must have been half an inch of oil at the bottom and they were under cooked.  It's a shame as it was nice sitting under a brolly with a hot drink and food as the rain came down.

We intended to do some bird spotting whilst there ad came away with a pretty average list although we did see a bird of prey which we were unable to identify.  My gut instinct was Hen Harrier but I couldn't say for certain.

My gut instinct was ruled out on Monday when we went to Sandwell Valley. They had been reports of Snipe but it turned out one had been seen flying over. 

We arrived and as we approached the marsh we heard the distinctive call of Water Rail.  Things were looking good.  As it was we didn't see anything new but it was good to see hundreds of House Martins (and the odd Sand Martin) feeding over the river and lake.

Whilst looking at the lake we bumped into one of the volunteers who we'd seen a couple of times before.  We got chatting and he was giving us handy hints and telling us the best places to see this or that. I asked him whether it was a Hen Harrier we had seen but he didn't think it was.  He offered up no alternatives. We ended up walking over to Forge Mill Farm and sat around with a hot chocolate each, chatting. 

Eventually we went our own ways.  Clare and I decided we would explore more of the valley.  We walked around Swan Pool and up tracks and through woods eventually coming out on one of the two golf courses. Despite the map stating it was a public footpath it was at this point we turned around and headed back to The Reserve.

So there you go, brief but at least we are all up to date again.

Not What I Expected

It's been an odd day today.  We decided, this morning, we would head to Wolverhampton and go and visit Bantock House, believing it to be similar to Winterbourne Gardens.

Arriving in the city centre we decided the best way to get there was to get a cab.  At first the cab driver wouldn't take us but when he realised we were from out of town he changed his mind. Strange that!  He was very chatty and a little camp but the 5 minute journey (£5 fare) was pleasant enough.

The brochure for Bantock House led us to believe that we could spend ages wandering around the house and gardens and so we were surprised to find a very small garden attached to a park. 

The house itself is lovely and the staff were friendly.  There just wasn't enough of it! 

Having stopped at the cafe we decided to walk around the park.  Although pleasant enough there isn't much there.  Just a green space surrounded on all sides by main roads.  So much for getting lost exploring!

We left feeling a little disappointed and decided to walk back into the city centre.  It took about 15 minutes.  We had a couple of hours going around the shops before heading back to the station.

Getting home around 4.30ish meant I we had time to watch the end of the cricket.  England seem to be in control of the Second Test against India with leading by 374 runs at the end of Day 3.

A bizarre incident occurred when Bell was run out on the final ball before tea.  Believing the final ball had been hit for four he left his crease and headed off the field.  The ball however had not made the boundary and India knocked the bails off his wicket.  During tea behind the scenes a decision was reached that, even though India were correct and Bell had been fairly dismissed, he would be able to take to the wicket again after the break.  I admire India's sense of fair play but if I'm honest I wouldn't have changed my mind!

The weather has been lovely over the last couple of days and yesterday we headed to RSPB Sandwell for our monthly walk.  Bird wise it was very quiet but we did see quite a lot of butterflies including Peacock, Small Tortoise Shell, Green Veined White, Holly Blue, Speckled Wood, Gatekeeper and a Small Copper.

Having spent the best part of the day wandering around we got back just in time to see Broad get his first test hat-trick.  A maiden over, 0-0-W-W-W-0.  A great display!

With the sunshine and the cricket, the last couple of days has felt like the first proper summer weekend of the year and I'm hoping it continues for a while longer!

The weekend started with a quiet Friday in front of London Boulevard.  With a cast that includes Ray Winstone, Colin Farrel, Keira Knightly it tells the story of a man who is released from prison but finds himself being dragged back into the underworld by gangsters.  Refusing to be drawn in he decides to go head to head with the top man. 

I really enjoyed the film.  It wouldn't make it onto my best of lists but for a couple of hours entertainment it was perfect.  For me Jordan (an out of work classically trained actor who spent his time getting stoned)  played by David Thewlis stole the show although all the parts were well thought out and well acted.

Last Weekend

The problem with a good weekend is that it is harder to get up on a Monday morning and that's what happened to me this morning.  It's not easy to motivate yourself on a grey, albeit warm, Monday morning at 6am. The weekend was lovely but as is usually the case over far too quickly!

Friday afternoon was spent watching the Wimbledon semi final between Murray and Nadal. I'm not a big tennis fan but enjoyed the match (which Murray lost 5-7 6-2 6-2 6-4).  The rest of the evening was spent listening to music which is something I don't do often enough these days.

Saturday and it was our monthly trip to Sandwell RSPB reserve.  The day was glorious travelling over, with blue skies and plenty of sunshine, but as we arrived at the reserve it started to cloud over.

This time of year is the quiet period for birds and although it certainly seemed that way going round when we arrived back at the centre we had a tally of 40 plus birds seen. These included Lapwing, Pochard, and Sparrowhawk.

After the guided tour Clare and I headed off in search of some Parakeet and bumped into two women, who were lovely but kept us talking for at least half an hour about all the birds and animals that had seen on their trips to Scotland.  Having spent so long chatting we decided to abandon the search for the parakeets and instead headed back across the reserve to the dairy farm on the other side.

Forge Mill Farm is a working farm.  They have Jersey cows and you can watch them being milked at times throughout the day.  We did this and we also fed the goats and chickens.  There isn't much else there to be honest and I was surprised at the lack of food on offer.  A packet of crisps and some orange juice had to suffice.  The shop was reasonably priced which made a change.

The evening was spent watching Black Swan.  It wasn't at all what I expected and I have to say I really enjoyed it, although it did leave me a little confused. I imagine most people know it is set in the world of ballet but I won't spoil the plot for those that are still to see it.

I noticed that the music was credited to Clint Mansell.  I wondered if it was the same Clint Mansell of Pop Will Eat Itself fame.  It turns out that not only is it the same person but he also wo an Oscar for it!

Sunday and with weather similar to Saturday (bright and war whilst travelling and clouding over when we arrive) we headed to Winterbourne House and Gardens.  Part of Birmingham University, it opened it's doors to the public last year. 

The Edwardian House and Gardens was built in 1903 and belonged to the Nettlefold family. The gardens were created in the Arts & Craft style.  It's about six acres and boasts various landscapes including a woodland walk that leads you to the lake on Edgbaston golf course.  It's a lovely place and was fairly quiet.  Having explored the gardens we had something to eat at the terrace cafe. Sitting outside overlooking the gardens was lovely.  A woman close to us had a sparrow land in her hair which was quite amusing.

A stable has been converted to a second hand book stall and we browsed before we heading into the house itself.  Entrance to the house is free as only the downstairs rooms are open but it was still nice to get an insight into the original owner's world.

Having been around the house we did a quick circuit of the gardens again before heading home.  All in all a relaxing day and a great way to spend a summer Sunday

Signing Up

So Clare and I finally did it.  We have talked about it for some time and today we finally took the plunge.  We joined the RSPB.  Having made our way to Sandwell Valley for their guided walk we took the opportunity to sign up.  For our money we came away with the latest copy of the RSPB quarterly magazine, a welcome pack and a lovely book on Garden Wildlife.  Not only that but we also have the satisfaction of knowing that we are doing something to help our wildlife.

The day itself promised to be a good one, warm and sunny!  As we headed over to Sandwell it was lovely but at the start of the walk it turned cloudy.  Not only that but the birds seemed to have disappeared!  We got to the lake and all the usual suspects were there Lapwing, Gadwall, Tufted Duck and Mallard.  There were a couple of Common Terns, Lesser Black Backed Gull and plenty of Canada Geese.  At the hide we watched a Great Crested Grebe making repairs to it's nest. Also on a nest was an Oyster Catcher. 

The highlight for me was a Black Tailed Godwit which we watched wading through the marsh.

We got home in time for the England versus Switzerland match.  If I'm honest I hadn't really given it a second thought.  I've sort of grown tired with the whole England Football Team.  A manager who we don't want and who doesn't want to be there. On the pitch it's the same old faces and the same old lack lustre performance. 

As a Euro qualifier it should have been a much more exciting prospect but it didn't really fire the imagination. I put the TV on but rather than watch it properly I just had it on the background.  In the first half England went 2-0 down but pulled it back to 2-1 through a Lampard penalty.  In the second half Ashley Young levelled the scoring.  The game finished 2-2 and England are still top the group but I can't for one moment believe that, if we qualify, we could actually go on to win the competition.

Gone In A Flash

Where's the weekend gone?  I can't believe it's Sunday evening already.  It's been a good one and quite a quiet one compared to the last couple of weeks.

Yesterday we went to Sandwell Valley.  Waking up to grey clouds and quite heavy rain we wondered whether it was worth heading over but decided we should make the effort.  It rained all the way there but there were signs it was easing off as we arrived.

I think the weather put a lot of people off and so it was just seven of us who accompanied the guides around the reserve.  After a heavy downpour about half way round the sun started to break through and by the time we finished the walk I had completely dried off.

In the end it was worth the effort as we managed to see over 40 different species of birds.  These included Little Ringed Plover, Whitethroat, Reed Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Willow Tit, Oyster Catcher, Lapwing, Goldfinch, Bullfinch, Swallow, Swift and both House and Sand Martin.  All in all a very good day.

Today was also a grey and wet start but again has brightened up considerably.  Not that it makes a difference to me as I've not ventured out.  Clare, however, has been off doing the BRMB Walkathon (having text not long ago to say she has completed it, in a decent time as well!). For those who don't know the Walkathon is a 26 mile sponsored walk around Birmingham. It follows the 11 bus route which is the longest route in Europe.  She'll be shattered when she gets in and it means I'll have to cook dinner but I don't mind as she's done really well. 

Whilst she's been off walking the streets I've spent the day listening to music and going through CDs, keeping one eye on the football.  It's been a good day as I don't often get the chance to do it these days.

One final thing.  The British public voted against electoral reform so we keep the current system and the Liberal Democrats suffered heavy losses as expcted.  Nick Clegg really messed things up when he started going back on his word.  During last year's election I think the public thought that he might be different from the other politicians, that was his strong point and what got him the vote.  Now they realise he is just like all the others if not worse, he sold out and now he is paying the price.

Bird Spotting

The RSPB were doing a free guided tour of their site at Sandwell Valley today.  Sunshine, blue skies and temperatures of 20 degrees made it the perfect day to head over to join them. 

Having started the day at the bookies in Solihull we headed for the train station.  A platform change at New Street meant we met a couple of RSPB volunteers heading there for a training day.

 They are a friendly bunch over at the reserve and whilst we waited for the arrival of others we chatted with the guides. Clare and I wandered down the path to the railway bridge and watched a fox trotting down the line.

The walk got under way with about 20 of us in all (including guides) and took about two hours.  The guides pointed out birds and told us which ones we could hear.  Prior to the walk starting we saw about 5 Bullfinch but on the tour itself we didn't see any! We did, however, see 30 odd species including Chiffchaff, Reed Bunting, Lapwing, Teal, Goosander, Gadwall, Common Tern, Great Crested Grebe, Little Grebe and Little Ringed Plover.  We also heard Blackcap, Willow Warbler and Grasshopper Warbler.  Butterflies were present with plenty of Orange Tip. We also saw Peacock, Comma, Holly Blue, a few Whites and what I think was a Red Admiral.

At the end of the walk tea and coffee was brought to us in the sunshine (and because the training session meant we were not allowed to use the hut).


We headed back to the train station and back into Birmingham.  After a quick diversion to do a bit of clothes shopping we headed back over to Solihull. Today was the day of the Grand National and although I had had  a bet my only success came in the 2.35 at Chepstow, Taste The Wine.  Having collected my winnings and looked at books in The Works (bought Clare a wildlife book) we headed home via the supermarket.

Sandwell Valley RSPB Reserve

As I get older I have started to take more of an interest in the things around me. I think this blog proves it. Birds,  butterflies and countryside feature quite heavily.  Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy gigs, football and so on and I can happily spend an evening down the pub with friends but if I'm not doing that I am quite happily traipsing around fields.

Saturday morning I found myself at Sandwell Valley RSPB Reserve.  I hadn't expected much if I'm honest as Sandwell is surrounded by industry (albeit in decline) but when I got there I was really surprised.  25 acres of greenery and water!

Stopping off at the temporary visitor centre (the original one was burnt down in March), staff gave us a map and told us what we could expect to see.  Everyone was really friendly!

We stopped at the hide over looking the lake.  From here I could see Coots, Mallards, Cormorant, Great Crested Grebe, Gadwall and Grey Heron as well as 3 types of Gull. There were probably more but  I am a novice when it comes to identifying birds and so probably missed loads!!

After the hide we walked around the lake to try and find the Golden Eye (unsuccessfully). As the day wore on it seemed to get a lot colder and the mist that we had hoped would burn off seemed to linger.  We completed the walk around the lake and stopped at the feeders.  Here we saw Greenfinch, Chaffinch, Goldfinch, Blue Tits, Great Tits and Pheasant.

We headed back to the visitor centre where the staff made us a coffee!  After a chat and a bit of a warm up we headed home.  Stopping off on the way to get ingredients for a stew to warm us up later.

I was really surprised by the size of the reserve and the variety of birds (we only saw a small proportion) and  am looking forward to heading back there soon.  I was also really impressed by the staff who were friendly and helpful. They made a good trip that little bit more rewarding.

Having had such a good day bird watching (I hate to use the term) on Saturday we decided to head back over to Solihull Nature Reserve.  I was planning a pretty early start but on the way out I noticed a Great Spotted Woodpecker on the tree outside the living room window.  The garden was a hive of activity, the busiest I'd seen it.  In the space of about an hour visitors included 2 x Great Spotted Woodpeckers, 2 x Jays, half a dozen Greenfinches, 2 x Redwing, 4 x Blackbird, 2 x Blue Tits, 2 x Great Tits, 1 x Magpie, 1 x Coal Tit, 3 x Wood Pigeon, 1 x Nuthatch and a Song Thrush.

The Trip to the Nature Reserve meant I can add to the list Jackdaw, Starlings, Long tailed Tits and (best of all) a Gold Crest.  Yesterday was not as cold as Saturday but stopped at the small tea room all the same for a coffee and to use their bird books.

I don't think bird watching will ever become a full time hobby but I can see it's appeal.  The Woodpeckers were back again this morning and to see them close up does give you a bit of a buzz.